Silence
by Silver FoxWolf
Summary: A long-standing friendship is shadowed by silence,but how long will the silence last before it decides to turn on the one who instilled it?
1. Eternal Silence

A/N: Good evening, everyone! Finally, I posted after who knows how long of being idle. Um...so yeah, a Hetalia one-shot, just like I said some time ago. Uh...This was actually what I wrote for my Final Year Examinations, and among the various choices of prompts given, I chose 'Silence', thus the title, though I might have messed up on that here. Oh, kill me, I beg you!

I got an A, even though I kept thinking I was gonna fail. *epic face*

It's as according to what I originally wrote, except I added in the flashback and some other details, which includes Lovi's _colourful_ language.

Warnings: Hmm...Not much except for life-changing outcomes for the characters.

Disclaimer: If Hetalia was mine...*fantasises*

Longer A/N at the bottom. ^^"

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><p>The ground shook violently again, but everything remained silent. Clouds of smoke obstructed my vision as I clambered up the pile of rubble, followed close behind by a dark-haired Italian, his odd flyaway curl swaying in the stiff breeze. I gave him a brief glance, noticing his deep scowl as he struggled slightly, shouting over the din.<p>

Once again, I turned a deaf ear to him.

He obviously was annoyed by my reaction, or lack thereof, and showed it greatly by speeding up his climb to reach the top before me. I let him.

By the time I was up next to him, steam was pouring out of his ears, his cheeks turning a slight tinge of red. I stared silently at him, waiting for a word to come out of his tightly pressed lips, almost raising an eyebrow in a questioning gesture. It was his typical appearance whenever, as I had noted over the years, he was utterly furious at something. This was no exception.

"I was trying to tell you something, dammit! The Captain relocated the rendezvous point! Why didn't you give a fucking signal of comprehension?" Lovino's voice was venomous, and as usual, I said nothing, preferring to stay quiet and pretend I hadn't heard him. Dissatisfied with my response, he grabbed my arm in a jerky motion. "Are you listening to me?"

There was a moment's silence, broken by the faint explosions in the distance. It was this time that I chose to respond, first with a glare. "I'd be a deaf person if I couldn't hear you the first time, idiot!"

Lovino hated insults, and on any normal day, he would have let fly a long chain of vulgar words which never failed to break my peace and quiet, even during missions like these, but today, he did otherwise. Keeping his lips tightly pressed together in a thin line, he gave me a glare. For a moment, we just stood there, maintaining eye contact, perhaps waiting for each other to break the connection first. It felt like forever standing there, motionless, letting the silence engulf us as we glared each other down. In that brief moment, I remembered the day long ago, when Lovino and I first met.

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><p>"<em>Godfuckingdammit! Watch where you're going, will you?"<em>

"_A-Ah! I'm sorry! I didn't see you...I'm sorry, really!" I helped the fallen man up to his feet, profusely giving him my apologies as I proceeded to pick up his scattered grocery items. "I'd have been more careful if I wasn't in a rush...I'm really sorry!"_

_As I picked up the packet of sugar on the floor, I noted the vast amount of tomatoes that hadn't rolled out of the fallen basket. Wow, he must love tomatoes...It sort of reminded me of...Myself! I looked up the man, now wearing a scowl on his face. His hazel eyes glared daggers at me, but deep within those eyes I saw something else. My gaze continued for as long as it took me to place the groceries back into the basket, scrutinising him – his face specifically. A mass of dark-brown hair, with an odd flyaway curl looping towards the right side of his head...and those hazel eyes..._

"_What are you staring at?" he growled. A light one – not scornful, and in a tired sort of way. And...Oh, was that an Italian accent I heard?_

_I blinked rapidly, clearing the thoughts out of my head. Walking closer to the man, I handed over the basket. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to..."_

_I was beginning to sound like a broken record, repeating the phrase over and over again. The man's scowl deepened for a moment, before he let out a sigh, relieving me of the basket. "Yeah, whatever. Don't bump into people blindly the next time, alright?" he made to move past me._

"_Uh, wait!" I blocked him, earning another scowl as he turned to face me. "Could...May I...know your name?"_

"_Why the fucking hell would you want to know that?"_

"_Be-cause...You seem like a nice person to be friends with?"_

_I mentally noted the red tinge that coloured his cheeks, internally squealing at how cute he looked. The man shook his head vigorously, glancing at the checkout counters before fixating his eyes on me again. He seemed flustered._

"_Vargas. Lovino Vargas."_

_I smiled at him. "Can I call you Lovi?"_

_Lovino stared at me as if I'd gone mad, then blew his cheeks, hardening his expression to a glare again. "Nessun! You just fucking met me and you wanna give me a fucking nickname like that? There's no way in hell I'm letting you-"_

"_You can call me whatever you want once I tell you mine."_

_A long pause. Lovino blinked several times at me, as if struggling to register what had just been said, and I found his confused expression cute and amusing at the same time. About a minute or two had passed when Lovino seemed to snap out of his trance, a small smile decorating his face._

"_Si."_

"_...You like tomatoes, don't you?"_

"_How's that related to the first topic? Anyway, you should say that about yourself, fucking idiota who's holding two bagfuls of them. "_

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><p>An explosion rocked the earth beneath our feet, jolting me back to reality. I remained disoriented for a while, and would have been left in that state for eternity if it hadn't been for another quake caused by a second explosion. I shook my head, ridding myself of past memories. Memories that I wished so hard to relive.<p>

No more. That could happen no more. Giving a soundless warning to Lovino, we moved on through the war-torn country, keeping in mind the threat of hidden enemies.

The two of us had been at the breaking point of our friendship numerous times – today was no exception. Lovino's constant ranting and language riddled with profanities, even by military standards, were always greeted by silence and my apparent indifference, particularly whenever I felt agitated by him, and in return, he becomes as irked. Perhaps it was silent agreement, but who'd know? I had been turning a deaf ear to Lovino lately, and even the other soldiers could see that.

If only I knew what the day would bring, I would have acted differently towards him.

In our ignorance as we hurried on through the ravaged land, a mine detonated just a few feet to our right, close enough to blow us off our feet - literally. I heard the soft beep and saw the blinking light, but was a split second too late to react. The long-held silence between Lovino and I was shattered, replaced by an ear-splitting explosion as both of us were thrown to the ground. Seconds ticked by before the silence came to retake its place, and all was nothing but darkness.

I awoke to a gentle shaking, regaining my consciousness after who knew how long of incapacitation, and wrenched my eyes open. Everything was a blur, but as it cleared and refocused, I found myself staring deep into Lovino's hazel eyes, full of worry and concern. His lips moved, but nothing came out of it.

I blinked in confusion. I could have sworn they were moving, no doubt about it. Lovino's lips moved again, albeit wider, but again, I heard nothing...Not even the sound of gunfire, or the deafening explosions.

_No..._I thought, tears welling up in my eyes as the bitter truth dawned on me.

My world had gone into eternal silence – the one silence that I had dreaded to hear my entire life.

_I could hear no one, and nothing._

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><p>AN: ...How did this garner an 'A' again, considering it came without the flashback and the profanities? Hell, you can't expect me to write 'fuck' in the exams itself, could you? I only alluded to it. And I'm really sorry if the repetitions of words was annoying - it was a "school requirement" to mention the word (or its similar meanings) every paragraph.

In case you're wondering, no, the one in first-person _need not_ be Spain/Antonio. In fact, I hadn't originally planned who Romano/Lovino was with for this entire essay, so I'm leaving it to you to say who you think it is. ;) Though the flashback sounded A LOT like Spain, but that was because I don't know how else to write it.

I just realised how short this looks...O.O Oh well,I love you Hetalia. You've earned me 3 A-graded essays. XD That's right, folks - I'm uploading another two!

Review please, and critique too; I know I'm ungrammatical somewheres. If you can find it, do tell me. ^_^

**EDIT**: As mentioned on my profile,you can now treat the one in first-person as Antonio/Spain,but a Spain who's unfortunately under too much pressure from the war to tolerate Lovi's (somewhat) constant rant during the mission. :D and D: at the same time. I sound evil,don't I? Sorry,but I like to see characters in pain...XP Oh! I'm taking requests for one-shots too! Refer to my profile for more details! :D


	2. Epilogue Part 1

A/N: So I decided to do an epilogue. A horrible one at that. It's become more of a drabble. It's going out of point of the title.

...

I'm so dead. *runs away*

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><p>Once<em> upon a time, the world was a peaceful place. People wore smiles wherever they went, sharing it with one another, arms open to embrace friends and family. Nothing was different to strangers, as the same happiness was shared with them. The sky itself was a reflection of the joyousness below .The atmosphere was always filled with merry laughter and joyful words, lasting even past the dead of night. <em>

_But one day, everything changed._

_Countries were against each other, previous agreements lost to the wind. The peace that the people enjoyed was instantly shattered as war was declared, allowing dread and turmoil to ravage the world with its deadly claws that begged for blood. The armies, big or small, were never spared even with advantages, as every side suffered heavy casualties with each clash. _

_That was not the worst of it, however, for internal conflict had erupted within several of the countries themselves. Brother was pitted against brother, and those who recalled of a similar past were mortified by the unravelling. Everything was with a gruesome end as soldiers were gunned down in the battlefield, civilians were rounded up and murdered in foreign land, and children were inadvertently killed on the streets...Families that had taken so long to build were wiped out in the blink of an eye._

_Nowhere was safe. The blood of innocents coated every inch of land there was to see, dotted with writhing bodies, some of which had already welcomed the cold clutches of death. By then, many came to think that the war would never end, for their leaders showed no intentions of losing to the other, choosing instead to attack their opponents. The people were not aware that their leaders were frightened themselves._

_There was one person, however, who made everyone see the wrong of rekindling the fire of war. Finding people who would listen, media that dared to travel by land, sea and air, and friends and family who would support him was a tedious task, but he forged on and succeeded. He had appealed to the many hearts that faced him, reminding them of the errors of the past, and how contradicting the world was becoming._

"_You say that we should learn from the mistakes that had caused all this undue destruction; to learn from this world disaster we long know as war. But please tell me, why are we so hypocritical? Even if it's doesn't seem the right word to use, it still does make you think, does it not? It took us two whole wars just to realise our mistakes the first time; now what of this? A third one? A fourth one? How much longer are you willing to go with this conflict? From the perspective of innocents, their hearts ring clear: 'How much longer will I have to cry?' Homes are destroyed, along with lives – millions and millions of them! Admit to yourself; many of your loved ones were included in this vague group."_

_Initially, he was met with a stunned silence as people pondered over his words, the message sinking in slowly. Some of the listeners looked ready to revolt, and that was when I heard him say the strangest of things._

"_If you wish to silence me and let this war continue, then I pluck up my courage to ask all of you..."_

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><p>"Would the silence of loneliness be what you want in the end, when no one is left alive?"<p>

A defeated sigh answered this, followed by a slight curve of the lips. "How many times have I told you children this story?"

One boy raised his hand up instantly, almost jumping up and down in enthusiasm to answer the question. "Every day, Mr. Vargas! Especially during sleepovers!"

"Yeah! A never-ending story~"

The rest of the children cheered and laughed along with the boy, some smothering him with pillows and sitting on him while the rest kept to one side, becoming spectators of the comical affair. The poor boy squeaked in dismay as he thrashed about, attempting to throw off his "attackers", letting out muffled shouts in between giggles. The man watched it all with eyes that held a touch of forlornness, unknowingly catching the attention of the girl sitting closest to him.

"Dad? What's wrong?"

Lovino reeled back in surprise. "_C-Cosa_? Oh, uh...Nothing, Lovina...I was just thinking about how you children seem to enjoy the story even if..."

"Even if you told it a hundred times? And yet, we still don't find it a drag? Oh, c'mon, Dad! I already told you before!"

Lovina was almost an exact replica of Lovino's younger self. Well, minus the swearing, that is. Lovino had vowed never to use any of his _colourful_ words ever again, or at least, nowhere near his daughter. Good thing his _fratellino_ was there to help him with it, or he'd have gone crazy.

The estranged pause from her father made Lovina worry, and with her, whatever that she worried about had to be talked out. She quickly stopped the tussling that was occurring behind her, motioning them to head upstairs. As much as they wanted to protest, they didn't, and quietly scurried up the stairs to Lovina's room, closing the door quietly. If they _had_ protested against Lovina, then everything would just be mayhem.

"_Padre_...Didn't I tell you before that you can tell me what's worrying you?"

Lovino blinked, turning his empty gaze back to his daughter, staring deep into her hazel eyes. "Uh... _Sì, mia figlia piccola. Non ho dimenticato,_" a brief pause, which Lovino used to give the girl a small smile. "But I always do tell you, don't I, Lovina?"

"Then...Why do always seem so distracted?"

The living room lapsed into silence as Lovino stared at his daughter, dumbfounded. _Dammit, why do these children ask weird questions that actually make sense?_ He hated having to lie to Lovina, but at the same time, hated to tell her the truth. He had to tell her the truth; if he kept it inside himself for much longer, he'd implode. _I've never really told them the ending...but they already see it as the end, even when I try to tell them it isn't. Damn children._

The silence stretched on for a few more minutes, unnerving both Italians as their eyes shifted away for a split second. Lovina seemed ready to say something, but was stripped of the chance when her uncle skipped into the living room, singing a favourite work song of his.

Lovino swiftly turned to the newcomer. "You _idiota_. What took you so long?"

"Ve~ I went to meet Ludwig for a while," Feliciano replied, smiling. "He'll be flying home tomorrow morning, so I went to give him his gift~."

Lovino facepalmed, much to his daughter's amusement. His brother could really be an idiot sometimes. One, Lovino hated Germans. They were scary and just plain annoying. Two, Lovino hated Ludwig. He was German, scary, was always mentioned by Feliciano and annoyed Lovino to no end. Three, his brother was an idiot. Wait, he mentioned it already. Who cared?

Feliciano noticed the worry lines on Lovino's face, and tilted his head slightly. "Lovina, it's time for you to sleep, ve."

"But I-"

"_Per favore."_

Lovina hesitated a moment, glancing from her uncle at the staircase to the floor. Her gaze turned to her father, and suddenly she felt furious at him for some unknown reason. Without another word, she turned right round and hurried after Feliciano up the stairs, dropping something in the process.

As soon as she was out of sight, Lovino went over to the base of the stairwell, bending over to pick up the fallen item. _If only you were here with me..._

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><p>The night was cold, with a chilly breeze blowing across the land, causing trees and bushes to rustle, the grass rippling beneath it. Stars twinkled in the night sky, winking at the gazers below. The land was illuminated by the moonlight, giving it an almost magical appearance as the shrubbery was outlined in the darkness.<p>

Lovino sat alone on the front porch, his cloak tight around his shoulders as he fingered something in his hand.

"_Fratello_, you really shouldn't be up so late..." Feliciano came out of the house, joining Lovino on the porch. "Ludwig said it's bad if you stay up so late, especially when-"

"Must you mention that bastard **every** fucking time you talk to me?" Lovino interrupted, glaring at his brother.

Feliciano lowered his gaze an inch. "No, but..." he shook his head once. "Would you be telling her anytime soon, ve?"

"You wish."

"Lovi...You have to tell her sooner or later..." Feliciano tilted his head to the side. "Children get really,really,_really_ rowdy when they don't know the ending of their favourite story. Ve~ I know you don't like it."

Lovino wished he could strangle Feliciano, hearing the frantic squawks of apology spilling from his flailing brother. But he had to admit that Feliciano made sense most of the time. He just was a bit too whimsical to do it seriously.

The younger brother fidgeted. "Uh..._fratello_, could I ask a favour of you?"

"What now?"

"...Eh, I can't sleep."

Lovino arched an eyebrow. "And?"

"And..." Feliciano shied away. "I want you to count sheep for me..."

"You want me to WHAT?" Lovino lunged at Feliciano, grabbing the him by the collar. "You want me to fucking count fucking sheep for you to fucking go to sleep? _Che cazzo_!"

Feliciano trembled under his brother's glare, the flyaway curl on the right side of his head quivering along with him. "B-But it worked the l-last time y-you d-did it for me!"

"That was fucking embarrassing! How dare you remind me of that?"

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK! _Mi dispiace_, _fratello_! _Mi dispiace_! Ow! OW! Uwaaaaaaaaaaah! LOVINOOOOOOO! OOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWW! W-WAIT! I didn't mean t-GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! HEEEEEEELP MEEEEEEE!"

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><p>AN: ...That. Was horrible. *facepalms* The ending was totally random. Canon to something,but random no matter what. Ugh...

Help me. OTL.

Hmm...I'm not sure where to go from here...I plan on redoing this chapter,but need an idea for it. I'll appreciate suggestions from you! :3 Send in a review or PM. Grazie! :D


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